A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Friday, November 06, 2015

Get Rid of this Guy!

Ran Baratz

I was reluctant to discuss this. As most people know, I have
taken the unpopular (with the liberal left) position of support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I am not one who
thinks that everything he does is self serving. At least not any more than most politicians.

I support him because I agree with most of his policies; because he articulates Israel’s position
well; because he has won over a majority of congress to his views; because he has the support of the tens of millions of Evangelical Christians; and most importantly because
the Israeli people gave him (actually his party – the Likud) the greatest number
of seats in the Kenesset in the last election.

As a result of this, he is the longest serving Prime
Minister in the history of Israel. He must be doing something right in the eyes
of his citizens since he was given this leadership role so many times. I would
also not diminish his role in how most of the American people feel about
Israel. If I recall correctly a recent poll found support for Israel among
Americans is at an all time high. That would not be possible if Israel’s prime
minister was as bad as his detractors
say he is.

Those who do think he is so bad, see him through a colored lens.
And spin his every act – his every word into something negative. You would
think that he is the devil incarnate the way some of his detractors speak of
him. Especially by his political opponents in Israel and by the left leaning Jewish
media both in Israel and America. And there are a lot of those.

So I am indeed reluctant to criticize him. He doesn’t need a
supporter to pile on. But I am not blind to his mistakes. One of which is choice
of Ran Baratz - who is a complete idiot - as his diplomacy chief. It is not
often that one can characterize a PhD in philosophy as a complete idiot. But in
the case of Baratz the ‘shoe fits’. Diplomacy is the last thing this fellow
should be involved in. Why? How’s this for a reason. He has publicly called the
President of the United States, Barack Obama, an antisemite and characterized Secretary of State
John Kerry as having the intellect of a teenager.

Baratz’s stupidity does not stop there. According to an article
in the New York Times he characterized Israeli President Rueven Rivlin in a
breathtakingingly disparaging way:

What upset many Israelis most was the way Mr. Baratz lashed
out at President Rivlin, calling him “a marginal figure” unworthy of
assassination, and suggesting that he “could be sent in a paraglider” into Syria,
where the Islamic State would retreat if only Israel would take him back.

This is the man that the Prime Minister thinks should handle
Israel’s public relations?! To say that this was a terrible choice is a gross understatement.
Netanyahu should immediately withdraw Baratz’s name for that position.

I think I understand why Netanyahu chose him. His probably
felt that his political views are similar to his own. But I don’t think they
are. I believe that Baratz is probably so right wing, that Netanyahu
would be considered a liberal next to him.

After being made aware of Baratz’s comments, the Prime
Minister said that they are “totally unacceptable and in no way reflect my
positions or the policies of the government of Israel.”

For his part, Baratz has apologized for making those comments:

Mr. Baratz, in a Facebook post Thursday night, apologized
for “the hurtful remarks” and for not informing the prime minister of them. He
said the posts “were written frivolously and sometimes humorously, in a tone
suited to the social networks and a private individual.” He added, “It is very
clear to me that in an official post one has to behave and express oneself
differently.”

In an email to The New York Times, Mr. Baratz said that
“what I most regret is using the word anti-Semitism in relation to President
Obama.

“Even in the context of a heated debate in which there were
strong passions over the nuclear deal with Iran, such language should have
never been used to describe President Obama,” he wrote. “It’s not true and I
deeply regret having done so.”

The United States seems to have accepted the apology:

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, seemed to try
to tamp down the Baratz tempest on Thursday, saying that it was “readily
apparent that the apology was warranted…

I’m glad to see that the Prime Minister is reconsidering
his nominee for a top post in his government.
But for me, it is a no brainer. There is nothing to consider. The cat is
out of the bag. Ran Baratz is unfit to serve in any position of power, let alone
one that is designed to provide a positive diplomatic face. The apology was
indeed warranted and I’m glad he gave it. But by his original comments he has in my view abdicated any right to future government positions. That is what he thinks
despite later denials. And knowing what he really thinks looms way too large
for him to be in any government position now or in the future.

So if I were in a position to advise the Prime Minister
here, I would say stop thinking about it and just kick this guy so far out of
your government that he will never again surface politically.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.